Posted on 04/09/2005 12:20:00 PM PDT by jmc1969
(AP) — There are growing signs of hostility between secular Iraqi insurgents and Muslim extremists — some of them foreigners — fighting under the banner of al-Qaida.
In Ramadi, the capital of Anbar Province and a stronghold of the insurgency, homegrown Iraqi fighters have begun recently to air their differences in menacing fliers plastered on walls and distributed in mosques — making threats and denouncing the tactics of the extremists, according to witnesses who have seen the fliers.
Some of the fliers threaten reprisals against the militants or threaten to inform police of their identity and whereabouts. Ramadi's insurgents argue that al-Qaida fighters are giving the resistance a bad name and demand they stop targeting civilians and kidnappings. Al-Qaida militants counter that Iraqis who join the army and police are "apostates" — Muslims who renounce their faith — and deserve to be killed.
"They have tarnished our image and used the jihad to make personal gains," said Ahmed Hussein, a 30-year-old mosque imam from Ramadi, speaking of al-Qaida fighters. "They have no legitimacy," said Hussein, who claims insurgency links but says he's not a fighter himself.
Associated Press reporters in the insurgency strongholds of Ramadi, Baqouba and Samarra say there have been fewer attacks in those towns in recent weeks. They also report rising hostility toward militants associated with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian al-Qaida leader in Iraq.
(Excerpt) Read more at nola.com ...
The insurgency is split faster than the Democratic party.
A little Pys-Ops in in order here. How about an Iraqi Special Forces attack on an Al Queda stronghold wearing the colors of the Iraqi insurgents and leaving "Al-Queda Go Home!" flyers strewn about? Then a "retalitory" attack on an Iraqi group by "Al-Queda."
What could possibly happen?
Why aren't these "insurgent strongholds" given the Fallujah Treatment?
ping
Thanks for the ping Cap..
AP finally gets around to a story that has been known for months, iraqi press has been saying this for a while now.
Good! I hope they split entirely and break down!
"Why aren't these "insurgent strongholds" given the Fallujah Treatment?"
Because neither the Iraqi government and those in high places, nor the US military want to expend the loss of life of US and Iraqi Army personel in a large city such as Ar Ramadi (the provincal capital of Al Anbar province). Let us remember how Fallujah ended up. It is so easy to say, hey, bring on the MOABS, etc., but that is nonsense talk. What do you want to do, show the Iraqi population that we are slowly winning over the we attend to bomb out all their large cities? That in essence what the result would be. Fallujah was destroyed far more then what the 1MEF had hoped for. We did not want to mash the place up but had little choice based on how the insurgents fought. We truly are winning the battle. It is going to be a long drawn out mission. Until the insurgents (foreign influences as well as the Saddam Batiest's loyalist) simply give up, there is going to be no piece. Soon as you position a half dozen Battalions around Ar Ramidi to attacked it, the same damn thing will happen. Most of the insurgents will flee, those left in place will bring on an immense destruction of the city. More Iraq's that started to believe things would get better, will start hating us again. Sadly there is no easy way to win this war on terror. And believe me, Zarqawi, Izzat el Dori and others know they can just keep on making life miserable for the Iraqi's and us.
"Sadly there is no easy way to win this war on terror. And believe me, Zarqawi, Izzat el Dori and others know they can just keep on making life miserable for the Iraqi's and us."
There is a way. It is called "beating up the bully on the block". We need the help of the locals to identify the bullies, their hang-outs and meeting places. Then, go in and nab them. It takes time, but once the locals see the bullies are not released and allowed back, word gets out and the bullies fall like dominos.
Until the liberals and communists took over the U.S. cities, that is how it worked here.
"There is a way. It is called "beating up the bully on the block."
Totally agree. This hopefully is starting to happen on a more grand scale througout all the Iraqi provinces. Hope is is vastly amplified as more Iraqi security forces come on line and start showing us they really can take care of business.
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